Employees have their own responsibility to follow the rules set by the employer. The Swedish Work Environment Authority's provisions and general guidelines (AFS 2023:10) on risks in the work environment, chapter 11, infection risks also apply to those who do not have any employees or who run a family business.

The employer is responsible for the safe use of infectious agents

As an employer, you must investigate working conditions and assess the risks, so that you can take the right measures to prevent ill health and accidents caused by infectious agents at work. You must also take into account

• employees who are susceptible to infection
• other staff groups besides those who will work directly with the infectious agents, for example security, cleaning or dishwashing staff
• if there are micro-organisms that are not part of the use, but which may pose a risk to health.

The employer is responsible for notification of work with infectious agents.

Infectious agents are micro-organisms, prions and human internal parasites that can cause disease in humans. As an employer, you are obliged to notify the use and storage of concentrated infectious agents, according to the provisions on infection risks. You must also notify significant changes in such activities.

Notification of infectious agents

You are also responsible for reporting serious accidents or incidents to the Swedish Work Environment Authority. This could be, for example, a needle stick injury, a confirmed infection or an incident.

Report work-related injuries, deaths and serious incidents to the Swedish Work Environment Authority

Notification of use of infectious agents

The employer is responsible for the risks when working with micro-organisms

As an employer, you are responsible for reducing the risks when working with infectious agents, just as you are responsible for all aspects of the work environment. You must be familiar with the Work Environment Act and other work environment regulations.

Employees and safety representatives are important for a good work environment

Employees and safety representatives have an important role in work environment management. As an employer, you must give all employees the opportunity to participate in work environment management. For example, you can let employees suggest measures or provide feedback on measures you have implemented.

Employees' participation in work environment management

As an employee, you must participate in work environment management and participate in implementing the measures needed to achieve a good work environment. You must follow the employer's instructions. You must also report to your employer or your safety representative if the work involves immediate and serious danger to life or health.

Safety representative and work environment representative

Sanction fees and prohibitions

Sanction fees if you do not comply with the provisions

There are three provisions in the Swedish Work Environment Authority's provisions and general guidelines (AFS 2023:10) on risks in the work environment, chapter 11, risks of infection that entail a penalty sanction if you do not follow them:

• As an employer, you must document whether employees have confirmed exposure to infectious agents in risk groups 3 and 4 in connection with an incident or accident.
• There must be waste containers for sharps that are safe and labelled with the words “sharps waste”. Containers for sharps waste need to be puncture-proof and marked with the words “skärande och stickande avfall”.
• As an employer, you must notify activities that intentionally involve working with or storing concentrated infectious agents.

The Swedish Work Environment Authority can decide on a sanction fee of SEK 5,000 - 50,000 depending on the size of the company if any of these stipulations are not followed in your business.

Document confirmed exposure to infectious agents in risk group 3 or 4

As an employer, you must document when exposure to infectious agents in risk group 3 or 4 has been identified in connection with incidents, accidents or other undesirable incidents.

In this case, employees do not have to have been infected during the incident, but it is the exposure itself that you must document. Keep in mind that it is not only laboratory personnel who can be exposed. Even someone who temporarily enters a laboratory, for example to change filters, may have been exposed to infectious agents.

Prohibition for pregnant and breastfeeding employees

There is a prohibition on pregnant women being exposed to the parasite Toxoplasma and rubella virus in the Swedish Work Environment Authority's provisions and general guidelines (AFS 2023:2) Planning and organisation of work environment management – basic obligations for those with employer responsibility, chapter 7 employees who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have newly given birth.

Prohibition for underage employees

There is a prohibition on minors performing work that may involve a risk of contact with infectious agents belonging to risk groups 3 or 4. Work that may entail a particular risk of contact with infectious agents belonging to risk group 2 may only be carried out with certain exceptions according to Appendix 2 of the Swedish Work Environment Authority's provisions and general guidelines (AFS 2023:2) Planning and organisation of work environment management.

Sanction fees

Pregnancy and breastfeeding